The discussion centers on ISponsorBlockTV as a solution for skipping in-video ads, with users contrasting its effectiveness against dynamic podcast advertising and debating the ethical implications of bypassing creator revenue. Participants also highlight technical limitations, such as the tool's incompatibility with mobile platforms and confusion regarding its scope versus the official YouTube TV service.
62 readable replies · Supporting reply 1 · Supporting reply 2 · Supporting reply 3 · Supporting reply 4yuliskov
SmartTube
Java2020–2026
yuliskov / SmartTube
SmartTube
Browse media content with your own rules on Android TV
58Distinct people
63Mentions
0Explicit recommenders
36.3KGitHub stars
What to know before exploring
What it is
Browse media content with your own rules on Android TV
GitHub
Where it is used
No documented product use was verified in the last source check.
What people are saying
No recommendation phrase was found in the indexed comments.
No classified warning is attached to this page. Read the discussions before treating silence as approval.
Also in these discussions
No other repository is repeatedly linked in the same discussions.
This week on Hacker News
Nov 7–Nov 14 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/14/2026, 5:04:57 PM UTC.
Mentions over time
HN mentions by year63 dated mentions
Observed mentions: 2020-12-05 14:52:22 UTC to 2026-10-21 04:31:24 UTC.
* An incomplete calendar period is marked with an outlined bar. Its count is not directly comparable with a full period.
Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.
View mention counts and date ranges
| Period | Start (UTC) | End (exclusive, UTC) | Mentions | Submissions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| 2023 | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 2024 | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 10 | 3 | 7 |
| 2025 | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| 2026 (partial) | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2027-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
From the project README
An excerpt from the repository, fetched Nov 13, 2026.
Read the project’s introduction
Important announcement about the app
My development environment was infected by unknown malicious software, as a result of which a few builds may have been affected. Once the issue was detected, I secured everything with a full disk wipe, restored a clean setup, and now all builds are scanned with VirusTotal. The F-Droid version will also be verified before release.
Public keys may have been compromised, which is why I am sharing this issue. You can download the new version and the new public key below, and instructions for restoring backups are provided.
No extra actions are required since the app uses one-time connection codes. These codes have very limited permissions (for example, they cannot change your password). Still, you can revoke them if you want full peace of mind.
How to revoke access:
Open myaccount.google.com/security
Find “Your connections to third-party apps & services”
Tap “See all connection” and locate YouTube TV or Google Drive
Select the app → “Remove access”
Please keep built-in security features enabled to stay protected.
SmartTube
SmartTube is a free and open-source media client for Android TVs and TV boxes. It allows you to browse and play content from various public sources in a TV-optimized interface.
✅ Features
Clean interface
SponsorBlock integration
Adjustable playback speed
8K resolution support
60fps playback
HDR compatibility
View live chat
Customizable buttons
Does not require Google Services
Helpful international community
❌ Limitations
Not supported on phones and tablets
Comment functionality is unstable
Voice search and casting performance may be inferior to official apps, depending on your device
Give it a try!
Do you have any question? Ctrl+F or ⌘F this readme first!
Installation | Site | Contributors | Donation | FAQ | Support / Chat | Build | Translate the app | Changelog | Liability
Device support
ImportantStarting in October 2025 new Amazon FireTV devices no longer run Android under the hood. SmartTube will not be compatible with the Fire Stick 4k Select and newer devices which run Amazon's own VegaOS.
Supported: all Android TVs and TV boxes (incl. All FireTV devices released before Oct. 2025, NVIDIA Shield & Chromecast with Google TV), even older ones with Android 4.3 (Kitkat).
Not supported: Smartphones, non-Android platforms like Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Apple TV, etc.
Installation
video of the installation (note: download url changed to kutt.to/stn_beta or kutt.to/stn_stable)
Do not download SmartTube from any app store, APK websites or blogs; these were uploaded by other people and may contain malware or ads. SmartTube is not officially published on any app store.
There is a beta release (recommended) and a stable release. Beta gets new features and bugfixes faster than the stable release.
You can use either of the following methods to install the app:
(Easiest) Install Downloader by AFTVnews on your Android TV, open it and enter kutt.to/stn_beta or kutt.to/stn_stable, then read, understand and confirm the security prompts. (You can also enter 79015 (for beta) or 28544 (for stable), but this requires an extra step to install the AFTVnews Downloader browser addon if you haven't already.)
Install a file transfer app on your Android TV, download the APK on your phone or computer and transfer it to your TV (e.g. Send Files to TV from the Google Play Store / Amazon AppStore)
Download the APK onto a USB stick, put the USB stick into your TV and use a file manager app from the Google Play Store / Amazon AppStore (e.g. FX File Explorer or X-plore). Android's preinstalled file manager does not work! Do not get the ad-infested FileCommander.
If you are an advanced user, you can install it using ADB. guide | alternative guide
Troubleshooting: See device specific notes below. If installation fails, either your disk space is full or the APK file didn't download correctly; clear up space and try downloading again. If the app installed, but crashes when opening, make sure to install it to internal memory, not to an SD card / external storage.
The app has a built-in updater with changelog. You can also find all releases and the changelog on the Telegram channel @SmartTubeNewsEN (readable without account) or on Github.
latest beta download
latest stable download
Installation (Chromecast with Google TV)
On Chromecast with Google TV, installation of apps is blocked by default, so an extra step is required:
4.1. Enable Developer Options
On your Chromecast, open the side menu and go to Settings > System > About. Scroll down to the Android TV OS build section and click that repeatedly. A toast message will appear, explaining that you are a few steps away from being a developer. Continue clicking until you trigger it.
4.2. Turn on the "unknown sources" setting
Go back to the main Settings page and select Apps > Security & Restrictions > Unknown sources. Turn on the toggle for [Downloader by AFTVnews or] whichever file browser you decided to use [...].
[source & picture guide]
After this, you can follow the general installation guide above.
Installation (Xiaomi devices with Chinese firmware)
Xiaomi's Chinese firmware might block the installation of the beta version. The international firmware is not affected. Solutions:
Use SmartTube's stable version instead (recommended)
Use the international firmware for your device
(if your device is from 2020 or before) You can do a factory reset and then install SmartTube beta before doing any system updates. You can then safely update your system, SmartTube should continue working.
Updating
The app has a built-in updater. You only need to follow the installation procedure once. A few seconds after launching SmartTube, it will notify you if there is any update and also show a changelog. You can disable automatic update checks or manually update in the settings under "about".
If the installation fails, either your disk space is full or the update didn't download correctly; clear up space and try updating
Read the full README on GitHubWhat Hacker News says
63 sourcesTry SmartTube (https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube/) or PipePipe (https://github.com/InfinityLoop1308/PipePipe). They do a pretty good job of blocking Google's nonsense and just showing you the videos.
In Making Solar Panels with a Microwave [video]I watch Youtube on a Chromecast using the SmartTube app, which is a 3rd party front-end (side-loaded APK) for Youtube that eliminates all the ads, and lets you configure practically everything. Don't like "shorts", just disable them and they are gone. That's the main reason I sought out an alternative to the Youtube app, I hated the shorts and there was no way to get rid of them in the Youtube app.
I used to pay for a Youtube subscription to get rid of the ads, but that doesn't include the in-video ads that content creators put in there - but SmartTube has that covered too, in most videos I watch the in-video ads are skipped too. I have 5 chromecasts on the 5 TVs around my house, and every one of them has SmartTube installed. I wouldn't want to watch Youtube without it.
https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube/releases
In Paramount Skydance has completed its $111B merger with Warner Bros. DiscoveryJust to throw one on the pile https://github.com/yuliskov/smarttube for android based TV media box is great.
In How I block all online adsJust make sure you're using the new version (old one was compromised):
https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube
In How I block all online adsFor me, the link to just the releases returns an empty list at present:
https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube/releases/
In SmartTube Compromisedfrom my understanding, https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube/releases/download/late... links to 30.56, which the newest clean version. Old app stopped at 30.48.
I installed 30.56 from the git link on my Shield. It did not overwrite the old one, as it has the old signature. I manually uninstalled 30.48. I did not use the backup/restore option in either as I didnt want to dirty any data in the new app.
In SmartTube CompromisedAnnouncement from the dev, in the project GitHub and Patreon:
Friends, it seems that my digital signature has been exposed. This signature protects the app from fake and malicious updates, so there is a risk that someone may try to release counterfeit versions under my name.
To completely eliminate any threats, I’ve decided to stop using the current signature and switch to a new one. Because of this, the app’s identifier will also change. You don’t need to delete the old app (but it will no longer receive updates) — the new one will install as a separate app and will need to be configured again.
Thank you for your understanding and attention to security.[1][2]
---------------
There aren't any new apk releases on GitHub yet. However, concerningly, the SmartTube website (which I won't link directly) still offers undated "Stable" and "Beta"
Read the rest
downloads.
It sucks to deal with security breaches as an indie or solo dev, but I'll be waiting for a more detailed postmortem before assessing whether to install a future release... Hopefully one that details new security procedures to guard both the dev's key and the production build environment.
Factory resetting my Shield as a precaution, but nothing sensitive was really on there, and Android's security model did exactly what it was supposed to and limited the damage. When using a third party app like this, it's prudent to use it signed out or else with a purpose specific Google/YouTube account which is connected to nothing else critical.
[1]: https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube/releases/tag/notificat...
[2]: https://www.patreon.com/posts/important-144473602
Just do as the other commenter pointed out and install an alternate youtube frontend on your TV. I'd recommend https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube. Then you'll never see another ad again (including those sneaky ones that are embedded in the videos).
And you can use the youtube app on your phone to search for videos and prepare playlists.
In FocusTube: A Chrome extension that hides YouTube ShortsYou can replace the YouTube app with SmartTube: https://github.com/yuliskov/smarttube
In California law forces Netflix, Hulu to turn down ad volumesReVanced also has the additional benefit of blocking ads, allowing background play and auto-skipping sponsorships thanks to SponsorBlock.
Also, if you have an Android TV, I'd suggest SmartTube, it's way better than the original app and it has the same benefits of ReVanced: https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube
In YouTube made AI enhancements to videos without warning or permissionSmarttube Next...
https://github.com/yuliskov/smarttube
In YouTube's new anti-adblock measuresIf you're on desktop, use ublock origin and sponsor block.
If you're on Android, use tubular (https://github.com/polymorphicshade/Tubular). It has no ads, built-in sponsor block and allows you to download videos and play them in the background for music.
If you're on Android TV, use Smart Tube (https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube). It basically has the same features as above, but with a TV-friendly UI.
If you're on iOS, consider switching to an OS where a big corp doesn't control what software you can run.
In Google confirms more ads on your paid YouTube Premium Lite soonPlease give this https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube a try
In Someone at YouTube needs glassesIf you have a FireTV stick or something Android based for your TV, I can recommend SmartTubenext for browsing/watching YouTube.
I still use AppleTV for pretty much everything else, but got a firetv stick just to use that. https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube
In Someone at YouTube Needs GlassesPresumably this for now has only been seen for a specific tv client API that yt-dlp use and not all youtube videos (well, https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTube/issues/4444 also saw it for "members-only" videos but again not all videos).
---
Also I suppose you make a reference to software DRM like Widevine L3 vs L1 (same thing for PlayReady SL2000 vs SL3000) which is not exactly Firefox vs Chrome. Firefox has even be known to work on the availability of hardware DRM on windows right now, (through the Media Foundation API I think?).
In the worst scenarios seen right now for example seen on services like Netflix, would be to only have lower qualities (e.g. 480p max) on browsers with only Software DRM available (like firefox) and encrypt better qualities with keys only available when there is hardware DRM available.
Though I'm not sure YouTub
Read the rest
e would go that far for now? Netflix, Amazon and such have contracts with right-holders stating those protections as a requirement, but YouTube does not have (IMO thankfully) the same kind of relation and contract with "Youtubers".
I think that what YouTube wants to do for now is to greatly lower the amount of people not watching contents through its website/app (and thus not seeing ads). I would even think that this is mostly not about yt-dlp users, but more the huge amount of people relying on some Youtube-to-mp3 website or similar accessible tools.
Here enforcing software DRM would be enough to at least temporarily break all those tools and force those users to go back on the platform I guess, and maybe you can also sue some tools' developers once there is an "encryption breaking"-mechanism embedded in it (IANAL)?
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